Indian Super League Final, Highlights: Atletico de Kolkata Beat Kerala Blasters
A closely-contested battle was eventually decided by a Mohammad Rafique
goal in the final minute of stoppage time. It was enough to help
Atletico de Kolkata become the first champions of Indian Super League.
It is all over, heartbreak for Kerala who played outstandingly well but credit to Kolkata for managing to blunt the attacks and score the late winner.
94' GOAL! Kolkata score and these are fantastic scenes. Mohammad Rafique slams what may well be the winner.
Three minutes of stoppage time.
83' Chopra comes inches from scoring. He twists and turns his way as Kolkata defenders falter. The shot is blocked by Kolkata goalkeeper Apoula Edel who slams his defenders for their effort.
77' Kerala bring in Penn for Pulga.
74' A tackle inside Kerala's penalty areas is deemed safe by the referee. It looked like the defender pulled down the Kolkata forward but cries of despair from the Atletico bench go unheard.
73' First change of the match. Kolkata bring in Mohammed Rafiq for Mohammad Rafi.
66' Card! Sandhesh Jhingan of Kerala warned for pulling opponent's jersey.
62' After several stellar moves by Blasters, Kolkata show they can do the same as well. Sahni dashes forward but fails to make it count.
56' Card! Kolkata's defense is feeling the heat. Borja Fernandez shown yellow for grabbing Chopra and bringing his attack to an end.
54' Chopra makes a heroic move once again but loses steam just when it mattered the most.
43' In under two minutes, Kolkata defense comes under attack twice. Kerala forwards slam three shots on target with Chopra getting the closest. No success yet though.
41' Kolkata seem to have come out with a more fierce approach to the final. A few moves have been made showing good intent.
The second half gets off to a promising start!
End of first half! It is 0-0 here after first 45.
39' Hume with a brilliant kick but a diving Kolkata goalkeeper punches it to safety.
37' Card! Ofentse Nato of Kolkata shown the yellow for a dangerous tackle. Kerala in with a chance from a free-kick.
34' Shot on target! Make it shots on target! Kolkata get two direct hits on goal within seconds but David James blocks and then collects to keep his team safe.
33' A move each from the forwards of the two teams. Kolkata's Baljeet Sahni uses the wings but Kerala keeper David James intercepts the cross. Moments later , Kerala came up with their own counter which is kept out as well.
31' Kerala get a free-kick but Kolkata defense manages to hold on once again. Meanwhile, scenes from just before the match...(did someone say legendary rivalry?)
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly before the start of the ISL final.
© AFP
25' Card! Kolkata with a brilliant attack but Nirmal Chettri's dangerous tackle on Mohammed Rafi just outside the penalty area stops the play. He is shown the yellow card.
23' Kerala get a corner kick! The ball is lofted to the other end of the goal but Kolkata keeper calmly jumps to collect it.
19' Kerala have had more attacks than Kolkata - lead the numerical graph 67% to 37%.
16' Kolkata now look to ease the pressure on their half. Forward line makes some moves to test Kerala's defense but a lot better has to be done to find the mark.
11' Blasters get yet another chance but not much power behind the shot. Kolkata defense is under pressure and has shown a few cracks which have let Kerala forwards to weave their way in.
9' Blasters get another shot at goal. Midfielder Victor Pulga strikes the ball with purpose but a defender blocks it out of play.
8' A sea of red is against an ocean of yellow in the stands. Both contingent of fans continue to be equally loud as no team has found the early break.
4' Michael Chopra invades Kolkata's defense and almost found the expressway towards the goal but was tackled at the last minute. The former EPL star is yet to score in ISL.
3' Kolkata's Josemi takes a tumble as he fought for the ball with Hume. Referee decides to keep his hands in the pocket.
1' Kick off! Blasters begin and it is a slightly nervous start from the team. Give the ball away early but the break comes to nothing.
* A splendid sign held by a fan here reads: Football may not be our religion, not cricket!
* Amongst the officials greeting the players, Sachin Tendulkar - wearing the Blasters' yellow jersey - and Sourav Ganguly - wearing a red T-shirt - grab the spotlight. Not for long though as football gets ready to take center-stage.
* Historic night for Indian football! Kolkata & Kerala players come out to unprecedented cheer. The Indian national anthem is played out to start what has already become a memorable night for players, officials and fans alike.
* In the stands, a long lineup of Bollywood stars join cricket heroes to enjoy a night of football.
* A fantastic display of fireworks sets the tempo for what promises to be a cracker of a match.
* The grand closing ceremony of the tournament is currently underway. Glittering lights and a packed stadium electrify the ambiance.
Ironically, Saturday's finalists finished third and fourth in the league stage, and the teams who were knocked out in the semi-finals were top finishers Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa.
Atletico de Kolkata vs Kerala Blasters Highlights Watch highlights ISL 2014
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